1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of footwear devices. More particularly, this invention relates to a novel anatomical footwear toepiece that is adapted for integration with an article of footwear for providing stability, comfort and control to a wearer.
2. Discussion of Background Information
Footwear manufacturers continually strive to improve comfort, fashion and functionality of footwear items. Because wearers select footwear based on appearance, comfort and function, footwear apparel must address several criteria such as aesthetics, balance, comfort and control during walking, skating, and other ambulatory-related activities.
The sole and footbed are target areas for innovation, especially concerning footwear articles having limited upper sections and ankle support such as strappy sandals and flip flops having only a V-shaped band element extending atop the wearer's foot. Footwear items having limited upper elements especially lack support elements for cushioning a foot and/or enabling sufficient control. Without proper support, a foot may pronate or supinate, causing the arch to flatten upon impact and that may lead to knee pain and back pain. Additionally, articles of footwear lacking complete uppers fail to restrain a foot sufficiently enough to prevent forward and lateral sliding, which may lead to stubbed toes and/or broken sandal straps.
Some shoe manufactures address balance, comfort and support criteria by adding support to the outsole or between the outsole and footbed. Running sneakers, for example, commonly incorporate gel cushions, springs or air pockets into the heel of the sole for softening the blow when a wearer's foot strikes a solid surface. Too much cushioning, however, may lead to pronation, and manufactures often add interior arch supports to compensate for this. Arch supports in the interior of the footwear article are typically positioned beneath the footbed or are incorporated as an integral part of the footbed. These arch supports therefore occupy substantial volume within the article of footwear. This may lead to wearer discomfort because the reduced interior space causes the top of the foot to abut the shoe upper, restricting circulation and proper flexing of the metatarsals and cuneiform bones positioned in the middle of the foot.
Some sandal and flip flop manufacturers attempt to add cushioning by incorporating soft, formable materials, such as cork and formable gels, into the footbed. These materials indent under pressure from a wearer's foot, forming groves particularly in and around the heel and metatarsals for receiving the foot into a particular position after a sufficient amount of repeated use. Such cushioning materials fail to support a pronating or supinating foot, however, and they also fail to prevent a foot from sliding too far forward or to either side. Sandal wearers often stub toes because of such slippage or step out of their footwear apparel altogether. Some sandal devices incorporate a toe loop for receiving the big toe to prevent the sandal from inadvertently falling off a wearer's foot. Other sandals incorporate ankle straps that wrap around a wearer's ankle, thereby securing the footwear item by a safety strap. These improvements, however, fail to prevent significant lateral movement, and these lose fitting footwear items thus may cause a wearer to trip and/or roll an ankle inward or outward because of an inherent lack of control.
One inexpensive, easily manufactured footwear cushioning and anti-slip device comprises a cushioning gel insert with an adhesive on its underside for securing the device to the footbed. Adhesive backed cushions applied in the metatarsal region may help to prevent forward slippage, but they fail to provide adequate structure for controlling the footwear and preventing injury associate with such lack of control.
A need therefore exists for an easily manufactured device that adds comfort and control to articles of footwear so that a user may balance properly and avoid any injury. Furthermore a need exists for such a device adapted for incorporation particularly within articles of footwear lacking significant structure, such as sandals substantially lacking upper support elements.